Countering Improvised Explosive Devices NU

Insurgents are increasingly using impro-vised explosive devices (IEDs) against government forces and civilians.1 The ease of access to components and low-tech assembly requirements have fuelled the proliferation of these weapons. While IEDs are often constructed from commercially available and relatively inexpensive products—such as ammonium nitrate, acetone, hydrogen peroxide, and potas-sium chlorate (WCO, 2013, p. 3)—the main charge and booster can also be sourced from conventional ammunition, such as artillery shells and mortar bombs (Wilkinson, Bevan, and Biddle, 2008, p. 137). As discussed in this Research Note, effective stockpile manage-ment of such conventional munitions2 is key to curbing the use of stockpile-derived materials in IED fabrication. The Note high-lights ongoing counter-IED efforts, building on the Small Arms Survey’s earlier work on these devices.3 Trends and humanitarian impacts Although the use of IEDs is highest in Afghan